REVIEW: Protector by Anna Hackett

My Review

Madeline was devastated by her capture and imprisonment by aliens and she can’t accept that she’ll never see her son again. She’s safe in the House of Galen but she wants to stay busy and she’s concerned with finding Blake, who was also captured from their ship. Lore once lost everything that was important to him and now he fights as a gladiator and helps those who can’t help themselves. Lore wants to protect Madeline but it’s hard when she continues to push him away. But he’s sure that if he can just get past her walls he can help Madeline see what’s good in her new life.

I didn’t connect very much with Madeline but I still enjoyed this one and I’m happy to see that there will be further Gladiator books as evidenced by a new group of human woman rescued by the House of Galen.

There was a lot of elements to this one and I enjoyed the mix of them. Anna Hackett always brings great action to her books and this one had no shortage of tough gladiators fighting. But this time we also got some magical elements with Lore’s abilities and I enjoyed that new part of the story. Hackett is constantly introducing new alien species in her stories and I’m loving the diversity and growth of this galaxy.

Lore has been a pretty noticeable side character from the beginning due to the magic he uses in the arena. He’s charming and easy going and now we get to see the deeper side of his personality. I thought he was a good match for Madeline. She’s very driven, tough on the outside, and afraid to let go of control. But Lore’s more spontaneous nature and his charm help win Madeline over. Madeline was hard to connect to because she pushed everyone away. She’s very independent and she’s also hurting over being separated from her son. Because of all this, she’s pretty prickly through out the book.

I was thinking Blake would be the last Earth human that was captured from the ships but there’s more — which means more Gladiator books!

3 out of 5 stars

Reader Safety

Heroine was kidnapped and held captive (referenced, on page)

Book Details

Cool and driven Madeline Cochran made a successful career for herself as civilian commander of a space station orbiting Jupiter…until the day it was attacked and she was abducted by alien slavers.

Her organized existence shattered, Madeline suffered during her captivity, but since her rescue by the tough gladiators of the House of Galen, she’s struggling to assimilate to her new life. As she navigates the desert world of Carthago and the gladiator city of Kor Magna, she desperately misses her teenage son back on Earth and throws herself into finding another human, space marine Blaine, still kept captive by the slavers. She also finds herself working harder than ever to avoid a certain charming showman gladiator who is far too attractive and far too tempting.

Gladiator Lore Uma-Xilene is a protector at heart and a sucker for a damsel in distress…although he’s well aware that the hard-shelled and sad-eyed Madeline wouldn’t appreciate the title. He knows what it feels like to be ripped from the family you love and have your life destroyed, and he wants to help Madeline heal. As the two of them go undercover into the dangerous world of underground gambling, Lore knows he’ll need all his patience, passion, and a whole lot of stubbornness to not only keep Madeline safe but to melt the icy shell around her heart.